American and Southwest Airlines face 'meltdown' scenarios

When Southwest Airlines had its holiday meltdown last December, it was caused by a perfect storm of weather problems and technology crashes happening at the same time. Basically, weather caused the initial problems and the airline's systems could not handle all the changes it needed to make to minimize the disruptions.

Part of the problem was avoidable. The airline knew it needed to update its software and add more personnel and winter weather equipment. But, as bad as the situation was, customers do understand that inclement weather can lead to flight cancellations.

DON'T MISS: Southwest Airlines pilots send a scary message to passengers

Southwest Airlines'  (LUV) - Get Free Report situation was made worse by its technical problems and its poor choices in communicating with its customers. But as angry as people were, they do understand bad weather as a reason for flights to get canceled.

Airlines don't control the weather, and even very angry passengers trying to get to their holiday destinations will have some level of forgiveness. That's not to say Southwest's initial handling of the situation was good -- the airline has since admitted that it was not -- but the airline's quick recovery in terms of passenger counts suggests that, at the end of the day, people understand that airlines don't control the weather.

They do, however, control their negotiations with their employees. Both Southwest and American Airlines (AAL) - Get Free Report currently face labor unrest. Southwest has yet to reach a new contract with its pilots and their flight attendants. American has closed a deal with its pilots, but not its flight attendants.

In the case of Southwest's pilots and American's flight attendants, both groups have made moves that has passengers concerned. 

American and Southwest face potential strikes

While both American's flight attendants and Southwest's pilots voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike, an actual work stoppage faces some hurdles. Both groups are currently in federal mediation with their respective airlines which technically makes a strike illegal.

The general public, however, is very aware of the problems and likely concerned about potential work stoppages during the winter holiday travel season.

"Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for American Airlines flight attendants in the US exploded 1,328% on the 31st of August the day when the attendants voted in favor of going on a strike, Touristjourney.com shared with TheStreet calling it, "an unprecedented spike in interest.

"The recent vote by flight attendants of American Airlines to initiate a strike could potentially have far-reaching implications for travelers across the U.S.," a spokesperson for the site shared. "... It would be interesting to see how the situation is handled by the company in an optimal way. The best path forward is with a constructive discussion and working towards better pay for their crew members."

Off-duty American Airlines flight attendants have been picketing to draw attention to their situation. Southwest's pilots did the same thing in late August, but so far, no actual work disruptions have taken place.

While a strike would technically be illegal, both unions could stage sickouts or use other quasi-legal tactics to send a message to their employers. 

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Southwest pilots want to strike

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) staged a one-day informational picket at multiple hubs for the airline on August 31. The union has made its intentions very clear given the header on its X (formerly Twitter) page.

"Southwest pilots are ready to strike."

Posts by SWAPA backed up that sentiment.

"But if we do get to a strike, you'll see @SouthwestAir grounded, and you're looking at the largest domestic carrier not flying." Capt. Mike Santoro, VP of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association #TimesUpBob, your Pilots are #READYTOSTRIKE," the union shared.

On the day of the picket, Southwest shared the following statement with TheStreet.

"Southwest Airlines respects the rights of our employees to express their opinions, and we do not anticipate any disruption in service because of today’s demonstration of off-duty pilots. Our contract negotiations continue, with leaders from both parties meeting this week, and we’ll keep working with the assistance of the National Mediation Board to reach an agreement that rewards our pilots and places them competitively in the industry," an airline spokesperson sent via email in response to a request for comment.